Union boost forward depth with trade for Sam Adeniran from St. Louis

On the opening day of Major League Soccer’s summer transfer window, the Union added to their attacking ranks with a cash trade for St. Louis City forward Sam Adeniran on Thursday.

A Houston native who grew up in Spain and briefly played in Germany, Adeniran, 25, has bounced around St. Louis, the Seattle Sounders, and second-tier USL Championship team San Antonio FC in recent seasons.

He seemed to be settled in with St. Louis last year, scoring 12 goals in 30 games. But this year, he fell out with manager Bradley Carnell, was benched, and was suspended for a negative reaction to the benching.

Carnell was fired on July 1 with St. Louis City in 12th place in the Western Conference, which showed that the turbulence might not have been a one-sided matter. Technical director John Hackworth, a former Union manager, stepped in as the interim boss, and Adeniran returned to the field as a substitute.

» READ MORE: Cavan Sullivan’s record-setting MLS debut was big for the Union, but Tai Baribo’s hat trick was bigger

So this trade was a change-of-scenery move and was easy to facilitate. Along with Hackworth’s ties to the Union, St. Louis sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel has known Union sporting director Ernst Tanner for years through their shared roots in Germany.

In the Union’s statement announcing the deal, Tanner called Adeniran “a reinforcement to our striker unit effective immediately” and “a strong player whose physical presence has shown to be effective up top.”

Adeniran is already in town, and attended Wednesday’s Union rout of New England. His first chance to play here could come Saturday, when Nashville SC visits Subaru Park (7:30 p.m., Apple TV).

The trade didn’t cost the Union much. They paid $150,000 up front and offered $200,000 for next year and $100,000 for 2026 if incentives are met along the way.

Both clubs know that might not happen because Adeniran is out of contract after this year. Austrian club LASK has also tried to buy him, and it looked a few days ago as if that deal might get done. Instead, St. Louis traded him within MLS.

A source told The Inquirer that Adeniran could still go to LASK but that it wouldn’t happen until after this season.

» READ MORE: Tai Baribo’s hat trick, Cavan Sullivan’s record debut highlight Union’s 5-1 win over New England

Union striker Tai Baribo’s hat trick in Wednesday’s 5-1 win earned him MLS’s Player of the Matchday award. It’s the first time a Union player has won the award this season.

The award’s voting comes 75% from the North American Soccer Reporters, the journalists’ group for coverage of American men’s soccer, and 25% from fans’ votes on X.